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On the Emotive-Evaluative Meaning 
of Phraseological Units 

The content of information is two-fold: it has logicaland emotive-evaluative components. Logical meaning
is the precise naming of a feature of the phenomenon or
object, the name by which we recognize the whole of the
concept (This meaning is also called referential or direct). 

“Emotive meaning also materializes a concept in the word,
but, unlike logical meaning, emotive meaning has reference
not directly to things or phenomena of the  objective reality,
but to the feelings and emotions of the speaker towards these
things or to the emotions as such” (Galperin, 1977: 66). 

Therefore emotive meaning bears reference to things,
phenomena or ideas through a kind of evaluation.

To establish meanings as features of types of word groups, we have to start from the
fundamental and referential distinction between referential and attitudinal meanings.
“Referential meaning is defined as merely denoting, or referring to something, either by
naming it or by pointing it out, whereas attitudinal meaning is defined as the expression
of an attitude of the speaker towards the facts of the objective reality” (William de Groot,
1975:69).

One of the aspects of meaning that has variously been called “cognitive” or
“denotational” is by no means the only kind of meaning and it is not even clear whether
it is the most important. Much of what we say is not a statement of  a fact but an
evaluation (Palmer, 1982:29). 

All the above-mentioned definitions of word meaning anticipate the necessity of
identifying the phenomenon of connotation.

Many scholars emphasize the existence of some additional meaning which is secondary
to denotative meaning, and which is variously called connotation or signification (Galperin,
1977; Àðíîëüä, 1981; Àðóòþíîâà, 1976; Áàðò, 1975; Stierle, 1975). 

There is no unanimity of opinion among scholars as to the definition of connotation.
But they are unanimous in admitting the existence of emotive, evaluative and expressive
components of connotation (Øàõîâñêèé, 1986:14). Connotation may more or less
generally be defined as “emotional, social or moral value that is associated with a word”
(Maclin, 1996:119).

The semantic pivot of connotation is the emotive component, which is always both
evaluative and expressive. 

As J. A. Leech states, “A distinction should be made between evaluative meaning, on

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